Beginning Life With a Wish
by summerlovin2011
Summary: One year after the battle. Harry is staying with the Weasleys, and all he wants is to live a normal life and spend time with those he loves.  He has a whole summer ahead of him to decide what he wants to do with his life,but right now he knows. One-shot


**Set one year after the final battle. **

Harry rolled over and reached towards his bedside table for his glasses. He put them on, and looked at his alarm clock.

11:11

What a great time to wake up. Harry closed his eyes, and made his wish. When he opened them again, it was 11:12, and he could hear shouting coming from downstairs.

Harry was staying all summer at the Burrow while he tried to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He was out of Hogwarts forever, and he had the whole world at his feet. For now though, his priorities were pretty low, the first being to eat breakfast.

Harry jumped out of his bed, and started rummaging around in his trunk for a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Before he could pull his shirt over his head though, his door crashed open and head of red hair ran into the room to trap him in a hug.

"Morning Harry!" Ginny sang, staring into his eyes, "Are you ready to start the best summer of your life."

"Of course" Harry said, smiling down at her. "I hope I can handle the excitement."

Ginny smacked him lightly, but smiled. Then, still smiling, she walked out of the room.

Harry grinned, and began to change out of his ratty pyjamas. Who ever said wishes never came true?

Ten minutes later, Harry arrived in the kitchen to find complete pandemonium. Somehow, Crookshanks had ended up with his tail stuck in the drain, and wasn't letting anyone get close enough to him to get him free.

"Where is Hermione? This is her bloody cat" shouted a very scratched and bloody Ron.

"Ron, if you can't be nice to her cat, she will never go out with you, you know." Ginny shot back at him.

Ron blushed scarlet to the roots of his hair. "Keep your nose in your own business Ginny. Remember, I know, and I might just ACCIDENTALLY let it slip one night over dinner."

Ginny blanched, and looked over at Harry. It was all fine and well to have all of Hogwarts know they dated, but it was a whole other thing to have the whole Weasley family know. They were currently keeping it a secret, mostly because Harry liked having all of his limbs intact.

"Shut up Ron, and get that thing out of the sink. Its causing enough of a racket, you don't have to add to it." barked Harry. Ginny shot him a grateful look, and went back to her toast. Ron just glared at Harry.

"Morning everyone! What's this- Oh Crookshanks! You poor thing!" Hermione ran into the kitchen and pushed Ron aside, rushing to her cat. Crookshanks immediately calmed down, and Hermione did a quick spell to get his tail out of the drain.

"Ron! How come you just let him stay there with his tail stuck? How could you!" Hermione shouted.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other, and made an unspoken agreement to go outside. Once Ron and Hermione started arguing, it could last for awhile

It had looked for awhile after the final battle that Hermione and Ron would be together, but somehow in the last year of school, their relationship had crumbled. Ron had thought Hermione was too focused on work and not enough on him. Hermione thought Ron was too demanding and nonchalant about their education. After a few explosive fights in the Gryffindor common-room, they had called it quits. Well, Hermione had. Ron was still madly in love with her, no matter what he pretended. For now he just pretended that he felt only friendly affection for her.

Ginny took Harry's hand as they walked through the garden. Harry liked that he didn't have to hide anymore. He could go for a walk with his girlfriend if he felt like it, or take her to a movie at the theatre. He wasn't quite as famous anymore either since Neville's heroic feats during his final year at Hogwarts and the final battle.

"Harry?" Ginny asked as they walked up the hill, "What are we going to do? School is over; we have our whole lives ahead of us. It's intimidating to think that what we decide to do this summer, we have to do our entire lives."

Harry thought for a second before answering.

"Ginny, it doesn't matter what we do. I'm so glad to be alive, and I'm so glad we all survived, I don't even care as long as I never have to re-live any of my past."

He looked over, and saw that Ginny had tears in her eyes.

"We didn't all survive." She choked out.

"But Ginny, we can't live in the past. We have to make a name for ourselves, one that wasn't made my defeating a dark wizard, but by working hard." Harry looked at Ginny, but she had turned away from him. "Ginny, I miss him too. We lost so many, but we need to remember what we kept."

"Harry, he was my brother! How can I forget? I don't want to forget, I want to remember him! How could you!" Ginny sobbed.

Harry wrapped his arms around her, holding on even when she struggled. Suddenly, something a wise old man had once said popped into his mind.

"Ginny, those who loved us never really leave us, you know." He said, whispering into her hair. "But the important thing for the living to do is live. We need to live the life those who left us would want us to. Even when we're hurting."

Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes.

"I suppose so Harry." she said sadly, wiping away a stray tear.

They continued to walk away from the Burrow, arms wrapped tightly around one another to keep each other from flying to pieces. The settled on a hill overlooking Ottery St. Catchpole with the sun high in the sky above them.

"Harry," Ginny said suddenly, "You're right about living our lives. We need to do what we want to, and live in the present. There are no regrets, only places where you can see what you may have done differently."

She turned towards Harry, and pushed him onto the grass. Leaning over him, she said, "I'm going to live my life how I want to now, and not how everyone else thinks I should."

Suddenly, she was everywhere. Her lips were on his, and their tongues met. Her hands were all over, and soon Harry's were too. Harry was too overcome with surprise to stop Ginny when her hands started to roam… South…

At that moment, all he could feel was Ginny. All he could see, all he could taste, all he could smell was this gorgeous girl who for unfathomable reasons just wanted to be with him.

And that is why Ron Weasley, on his way to buy milk in the village, came back to the house ghostly pale and milkless, and didn't talk to his best friend for over a week.


End file.
